I'm working on this melding of Over the Rainbow and Never Neverland (from the Mary Martin version of Peter Pan) that I put together. If I were a real musician, I guess I would say that I arranged it. But Meld is a better word. I just took the Over the Rainbow Iz version from 4th peg, cut out the Wonderful World interlude (because I think that song is kinda sappy), pasted in Never Neverland from the Guitar Guy's website, transposed the whole mess in my key. I think it will work.
My plan was to perform it at an assembly at the high school where I teach, but I'm not sure that it will be polished enough by the time that day hits. So, I will use U2's Wild Honey as a back-up. I have that one down pretty well. The Rainbow/Neverland medly I will save until a later assembly.
Just messing around with both of these songs has taught me what wonderful songs they are. Lyrically, few other writers can touch them. Both capture that desire for someplace better. The yearning that a farmgirl form Kansas or a child confined to a London apartment would have to just make a break for it. Wonderful World, by comparison, is pretty thin. It's thematically similar to It's a Small World.
Hey, I'm gonna go practice now.
4 comments:
First off, thanks for your comment in my blog. I especially appreciate the fact that you seem to be going back through the archives... that's very flattering.
Re: your medley... if you're going to be dropping the Wonderful World interlude in favor of something else you should really not be using Iz's words for Over The Rainbow because he got them all wrong. Look up the actual words and chords. (I may have them around somewhere. Use the contact form on my site to ding me about it and I'll try to look them up for you.)
ciao for now...
HH
Yeah, I noticed that too when I read the lyrics. Fortunately, as a baby boomer whom, as a child, spent one night each year watching the Wizard of Oz with my family, and another night each year watching Mary Martin in Peter Pan with my family, the lyrics are imbedded in my DNA. But I looked them up anyway. Thanks for your comment.
I've been practicing, trying to use the more complicated versions of the songs, but don't think I'll be ready for the assembly. I will continue to practice, though.
I'll probably do one of my backups next week. Save the medly for later. As for the Tea, it sounded to me like they wanted us to write a song. I think I'd rather just jam on songs we know.
I like saying "jam." It makes me feel so musical.
Well, gotta jam.
I dunno, I guess the lyrics to "Wonderful World" might be kinda childish, shallow, and simple, but I prefer to think of them as child-like. Even though it's a simple lyric, it also speaks to a very deep part of my perception, having to do with the intrinsic value of direct experience versus conceptualization, regardless of one's circumstances. To a good degree, the value of direct experience is the basis for my (humanist) feelings about the value of life itself. Sorta replaces the concept of heaven. Come to think of it, what would heaven be without a direct experience?
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